I have reflected on Isaiah 30:15 for many years. If you haven’t read it for a while here it is:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
Repentance is a change of heart. Repentance also involves “seeing” your surroundings, God and yourself differently. Rest is an internal gift that is enabled by the finished work of the Cross and maintained by the Holy Spirit inside the born again believer. I find the word “quietness” compelling. Our world of high speed information and data overload makes quietness a nearly unattainable goal in our generation. We have been trying something different at our house the last few weeks. We have been watching less television. We initially thought it might make Libby feel better. Then we realized that we felt better. I have been coloring with Libby on the kitchen table after dinner. After Libby goes to bed my wife and I have been reading the autobiography of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. On a subjective level it feels like I have less clutter and noise in my mind. My wife and I will often watch cooking and home improvement shows. But in the end they all seem like a lot of hype and noise. I don’t know what “noise” was in Isaiah’s world but God’s people must have had challenges getting quiet and listening to God. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 Clearly, our world throws at us a barrage of troubles, crisis and noise that would steal God’s peace from our hearts. By the power of the Holy Spirit and an intentional effort to “renew our minds” (Romans 12:1-2) we can experience quietness in our hearts whatever challenges are before us. What prevents this? Sometimes a busy schedule with work or children make it difficult to be quiet. Sometimes we are in the habit of being busy such that sitting still seems foreign to us. The last phrase in Isaiah 30:15 strikes me. God tells them the secret to a “quiet and rested heart” but the people of God refuse the solution. The verse ends with some disturbing words. “but you would have none of it” Why would God’s people refuse what God is offering? We can only conjecture. Maybe they were too busy. Maybe they enjoyed the accomplishments of their daily work. Isaiah doesn’t tell us. But we can know that what they gave up in God’s peace was far more valuable then whatever they gained in their daily activities. Do you get “quiet” each day with God? It is vital for our ongoing spiritual growth.
God Bless You
Pastor Drew
